Salaries//Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer salary in US

Average Base Salary in US

$171,364
$39,941
Additional Cash Compensation
$211,305
Total Compensation
Median: 160,000
Min: $86K
Max: $375K

How Much Does a Principal Software Engineer Make in US?

The average salary for a Principal Software Engineer in US is $171,364. The average additional cash compensation for a Principal Software Engineer in US is $39,941. The average total compensation for a Principal Software Engineer in US is $211,305. Principal Software Engineer salaries are based on responses gathered by Built In from anonymous Principal Software Engineer employees in US.

Principal Software Engineer
Aerospace Engineer
AI Engineer
Android Developer
App Developer
Application Engineer
Automation Engineer
AWS Developer
Back End Developer
Blockchain Developer
Business Intelligence Developer
CIO (Chief Information Officer)
Cloud Engineer
Cloud Security Engineer
CTO (Chief Technology Officer)
Cybersecurity Engineer
Data Architect
Data Engineer
Data Engineering Manager
Database Administrator
Database Developer
Design Engineer
DevOps Engineer
Director of Software Engineering
Engineering Manager
Front End Developer
Full Stack Developer
Game Developer
Hardware Engineer
Implementation Specialist
iOS Developer
IT Engineer
Java Developer
Javascript Developer
Junior Software Developer
Junior Software Engineer
Junior Web Developer
Lead Software Engineer
Machine Learning Engineer
Network Engineer
Power BI Developer
Principal Software Engineer
Python Developer
QA Analyst
QA Engineer
QA Manager
Quant Developer
React Developer
Robotics Engineer
RPA Developer
Sales Engineer
Salesforce Developer
Security Engineer
Senior Data Engineer
Senior Software Developer
Senior Software Engineer
Senior Systems Engineer
Site Reliability Engineer
Software Developer
Software Engineer
Software Test Engineer
SQL Developer
Systems Engineer
Tableau Developer
Test Engineer
Vice President of Engineering
Web Developer
Wordpress Developer
Account ExecutiveAccount ManagerAccountantAerospace EngineerAI EngineerAnalytics ManagerAndroid DeveloperApp DeveloperApplication EngineerArt DirectorAssociate Product ManagerAutomation EngineerAWS DeveloperBack End DeveloperBig Data EngineerBlockchain DeveloperBrand ManagerBudget AnalystBusiness AnalystBusiness Development ManagerBusiness Development RepresentativeBusiness Intelligence AnalystBusiness Intelligence DeveloperBusiness Intelligence DeveloperBusiness Intelligence ManagerCCO (Chief Creative Officer)CFO (Chief Financial Officer)Chief Information OfficerChief People OfficerCIO (Chief Information Officer)Client Success ManagerCloud EngineerCloud Security EngineerCMO (Chief Marketing Officer)Community ManagerContent ManagerContent Marketing ManagerContent StrategistControllerCOO (Chief Operating Officer)CopywriterCPO (Chief Product Officer)Creative Chief OfficerCreative DirectorCRO (Chief Revenue Officer)CTO (Chief Technology Officer)Customer Support ManagerCustomer Support RepCybersecurity EngineerData AnalystData ArchitectData EngineerData Engineering ManagerData ScientistDatabase AdministratorDatabase DeveloperDesign DirectorDesign EngineerDesktop SupportDevOps EngineerDigital Marketing ManagerDirector of AnalyticsDirector of Customer SuccessDirector of MarketingDirector of OperationsDirector of Product ManagementDirector of Product MarketingDirector of Software EngineeringEditorEmail Marketing ManagerEngineering ManagerEvent PlannerFinance DirectorFinancial AnalystFront End DeveloperFull Stack DeveloperGame DesignerGame DeveloperGraphic DesignerHardware EngineerHR CoordinatorHR DirectorHR ManagerHR SpecialistImplementation ManagerImplementation SpecialistInside Sales ManagerInside Sales RepresentativeInstructional DesigneriOS DeveloperIT EngineerJava DeveloperJavascript DeveloperJunior Business AnalystJunior Data AnalystJunior Data ScientistJunior Software DeveloperJunior Software EngineerJunior Web DeveloperLead Software EngineerMachine Learning EngineerMarket Research AnalystMarketing AnalystMarketing AssistantMarketing AssociateMarketing CoordinatorMarketing ManagerMarketing Operations ManagerMarketing Project ManagerMarketing SpecialistNetwork EngineerOffice ManagerOperations AssociateOperations ManagerPower BI DeveloperPrincipal Software EngineerProduct AnalystProduct DesignerProduct ManagerProduct Marketing ManagerProduct OwnerProject CoordinatorProject ManagerPublic Relations ManagerPublic Relations SpecialistPython DeveloperQA AnalystQA EngineerQA ManagerQuant DeveloperReact DeveloperRecruiterRobotics EngineerRPA DeveloperSales AssociateSales CoordinatorSales Development RepresentativeSales DirectorSales EngineerSales ManagerSales Operations AnalystSales Operations ManagerSalesforce DeveloperScrum MasterSecurity EngineerSenior AccountantSenior Business AnalystSenior Data AnalystSenior Data EngineerSenior Data ScientistSenior Financial AnalystSenior Graphic DesignerSenior Marketing ManagerSenior Product DesignerSenior Product ManagerSenior Product Marketing ManagerSenior Project ManagerSenior RecruiterSenior Software DeveloperSenior Software EngineerSenior Systems EngineerSenior Technical WriterSenior UI DesignerSenior UX DesignerSEO ManagerSEO SpecialistSite Reliability EngineerSocial Media ManagerSoftware DeveloperSoftware EngineerSoftware Sales RepresentativeSoftware Test EngineerSQL DeveloperSystems EngineerTableau DeveloperTech Sales RepresentativeTechnical Product ManagerTechnical Project ManagerTechnical RecruiterTechnical SupportTechnical WriterTest EngineerUI DesignerUX DesignerUX ResearcherVice President of CareVice President of EngineeringVice President of FinanceVice President of Human ResourcesVice President of MarketingVice President of OperationsVice President of PeopleVice President of ProductVice President of SalesVice President of Talent AcquisitionVisual DesignerWeb DesignerWeb DeveloperWordpress Developer

best-paying cities for Principal Software Engineer

The metropolitan areas that pay the highest salaries for software engineers are San Francisco, Colorado Springs, Remote, Miami and Seattle.
City NameAverage SalaryCompared to National Average
San Francisco, CA$213,354
+ 24% (161,151)
Colorado Springs$213,000
+ 24% (161,151)
Remote$212,882
+ 24% (161,151)
Miami, FL$201,200
+ 20% (161,151)
Seattle, WA$185,232
+ 13% (161,151)
Los Angeles, CA$176,466
+ 9% (161,151)
Colorado, CO$176,208
+ 9% (161,151)
San Diego, CA$175,000
+ 8% (161,151)
Charlotte, NC$173,375
+ 7% (161,151)
Hartford, CT$173,286
+ 7% (161,151)

Principal Software Engineer Salary by gender

The average Principal Software Engineer salary for women is $187,437 and the average Principal Software Engineer salary for men is $179,420.

Principal Software Engineer Salary by Years of Experience

The average salary for a Principal Software Engineer with 7+ years of experience is $178,275.

Principal Software Engineer Salary ranges

The most common Principal Software Engineer salary in US is between $180k - $190k.

Average Dev + Engineer salaries in US

Job TitleAverage SalarySalary Range
Wordpress Developer$71,129
Min: $55K
Max: $96K
Junior Web Developer$76,862
Min: $64K
Max: $93K
Implementation Specialist$80,051
Min: $38K
Max: $235K
QA Analyst$84,339
Min: $28K
Max: $166K
Junior Software Developer$87,847
Min: $55K
Max: $120K
RPA Developer$89,414
Min: $80K
Max: $127K
Junior Software Engineer$89,518
Min: $0K
Max: $190K
Tableau Developer$94,349
Min: $87K
Max: $121K
Web Developer$96,212
Min: $72K
Max: $153K
QA Engineer$99,581
Min: $40K
Max: $230K
Software Test Engineer$101,068
Min: $40K
Max: $200K
Javascript Developer$102,449
Min: $84K
Max: $119K
SQL Developer$104,864
Min: $89K
Max: $130K
Automation Engineer$105,832
Min: $10K
Max: $240K
React Developer$105,911
Min: $85K
Max: $153K
Test Engineer$107,711
Min: $29K
Max: $191K
Power BI Developer$107,870
Min: $95K
Max: $155K
AWS Developer$108,134
Min: $92K
Max: $150K
Front End Developer$109,186
Min: $0K
Max: $330K
Python Developer$112,382
Min: $85K
Max: $160K
Android Developer$112,876
Min: $0K
Max: $310K
Salesforce Developer$113,123
Min: $45K
Max: $220K
Network Engineer$113,313
Min: $70K
Max: $252K
App Developer$114,106
Min: $51K
Max: $197K
Game Developer$115,999
Min: $4K
Max: $214K
Database Developer$116,420
Min: $90K
Max: $160K
iOS Developer$117,644
Min: $2K
Max: $391K
Application Engineer$121,988
Min: $80K
Max: $225K
IT Engineer$122,727
Min: $61K
Max: $202K
Systems Engineer$123,499
Min: $55K
Max: $301K
Data Engineer$125,003
Min: $0K
Max: $300K
Blockchain Developer$127,025
Min: $75K
Max: $245K
Sales Engineer$128,713
Min: $9K
Max: $305K
Security Engineer$129,059
Min: $10K
Max: $299K
Site Reliability Engineer$130,222
Min: $70K
Max: $300K
Database Administrator$131,060
Min: $69K
Max: $260K
QA Manager$131,311
Min: $45K
Max: $225K
DevOps Engineer$132,660
Min: $25K
Max: $250K
Cloud Security Engineer$135,598
Min: $95K
Max: $250K
Robotics Engineer$136,642
Min: $89K
Max: $302K
Software Engineer$137,353
Min: $0K
Max: $400K
Java Developer$138,886
Min: $87K
Max: $240K
Hardware Engineer$140,649
Min: $64K
Max: $343K
Senior Data Engineer$141,246
Min: $30K
Max: $343K
Cloud Engineer$142,130
Min: $85K
Max: $216K
Software Developer$144,226
Min: $48K
Max: $285K
Aerospace Engineer$145,153
Min: $94K
Max: $258K
Data Architect$145,845
Min: $0K
Max: $290K
Senior Systems Engineer$145,952
Min: $110K
Max: $250K
Design Engineer$148,230
Min: $83K
Max: $233K
Business Intelligence Developer$153,400
Min: $80K
Max: $250K
Lead Software Engineer$153,608
Min: $44K
Max: $300K
Senior Software Engineer$155,140
Min: $18K
Max: $366K
Machine Learning Engineer$157,969
Min: $70K
Max: $285K
Full Stack Developer$159,917
Min: $80K
Max: $300K
Cybersecurity Engineer$162,070
Min: $60K
Max: $333K
Data Engineering Manager$163,394
Min: $110K
Max: $255K
Senior Software Developer$164,607
Min: $95K
Max: $300K
Back End Developer$166,396
Min: $68K
Max: $300K
Principal Software Engineer$171,364
Min: $86K
Max: $375K
Engineering Manager$171,897
Min: $0K
Max: $450K
AI Engineer$175,262
Min: $80K
Max: $338K
Director of Software Engineering$195,795
Min: $2K
Max: $420K
Quant Developer$196,161
Min: $127K
Max: $500K
CTO (Chief Technology Officer)$223,133
Min: $0K
Max: $575K
Vice President of Engineering$224,549
Min: $130K
Max: $500K
CIO (Chief Information Officer)$227,974
Min: $83K
Max: $450K

FAQ

Q:

What is a principal software engineer?

A.
A principal software engineer leads engineering teams in developing and testing software projects, working to guarantee software projects meet quality standards and are completed on time.
Q:

How to become a principal software engineer?

A.
To become a principal software engineer, you will likely need at least 10 years of software development experience as well as a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field like computer science. Preparation for this position includes extensive coding and programming expertise, as well as management experience.
Q:

How much does a principal software engineer make?

A.

The salary range for a principal software engineer is $55K-$305K. The average salary for a Principal Software Engineer in US is $171,364.

Career Info

Principal Software Engineer jobs in US

Skills that affect Principal Software Engineer salaries in US

1
Java
1% have this skill
2
.NET
1% have this skill
3
Javascript
1% have this skill
4
Python
0% have this skill
5
C#
0% have this skill
6
SQL
0% have this skill

Average Principal Software Engineer Salary by Company Size

People with the job title Principal Software Engineer make the most at companies with 1-10 employees, earning $169,097 on average.

Recent Principal Software Engineer salaries in US

$184,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Software Engineer reported a yearly salary of $184,000 with +$18,400 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
1,000+ Employees
Sacramento, CA
$180,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Application Developer reported a yearly salary of $180,000 with +$30,600 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
1,000+ Employees
Atlanta, GA
$196,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Application Developer reported a yearly salary of $196,000 with +$33,320 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
1,000+ Employees
Los Angeles, CA
$196,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Application Developer reported a yearly salary of $196,000 with +$33,320 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
1,000+ Employees
Los Angeles, CA
$213,261
Yearly Salary
A Sr Principal Engineer reported a yearly salary of $213,261 with +$21,326 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
501-1,000 Employees
Boston, MA
$232,457
Yearly Salary
A Sr Principal Engineer reported a yearly salary of $232,457 with +$23,245 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Female
501-1,000 Employees
Boston, MA
$242,822
Yearly Salary
A Sr Principal Software Architect reported a yearly salary of $242,822 with +$36,423 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
501-1,000 Employees
Boston, MA
$185,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Software Engineer reported a yearly salary of $185,000 with +$37,000 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
201-500 Employees
Chicago, IL
$185,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Software Engineer reported a yearly salary of $185,000
7+ Years of Experience
Male
201-500 Employees
Chicago, IL
$241,800
Yearly Salary
A Principal Engineer reported a yearly salary of $241,800
7+ Years of Experience
Male
501-1,000 Employees
Remote